Map lays down the law for driving abroad

Matt Allan

As tens of thousands of Britons begin to plan holidays on the Continent this summer a new interactive map aims to help keep us on the right side of the law.

Created by iCarHireInsurance, the online map helps clarify the different laws and requirements across Europe.

The map allows users to hover over each country to gain details on aspects of driving such as speed limits, drink-drive limits, mobile phone usage and items that must be carried in cars. In countries such as Sweden, Finland and Iceland it also details what the law demands of drivers during winter months.

As well as highlighting the fairly obvious such as motorway speed limits - which vary from 55mph in Latvia and Iceland to 85mph in Poland - the map reveals more obscure rules that unprepared drivers could easily be caught out by. For example, in Switzerland the law requires glasses/contact lens users to carry a spare set with them while driving, and in France alongside the usual high-visibility jackets and warning triangles motorists must also carry a breathalyser.

In a statement accompanying the map’s release, the company said: “If you’re planning on driving in a country you’re unfamiliar with, make sure you know the key laws before setting off.

“Negotiating the roads and highways in foreign countries is challenging enough, without factoring in the rules and regulations which must be followed. A financial penalty, driving ban or possibly worse may be imposed if one or more of these is breached.”